TOKYO – Infiniti aims to tap China’s booming demand for crossovers with a sporty concept at this month’s Beijing auto show that previews the look of its future utility vehicles.

The QX Sport Inspiration explores the brand’s vision for a next-generation midsize crossover, the company said in a press release today. The concept gets SUV-like proportions with a wide, muscular stance drawing from the Q60 Concept.

Floating A-pillars and extra-wide wheel arches add emotional appeal.

“The QX Sport Inspiration expresses a power and purpose that is uniquely Infiniti,” Alfonso Albaisa, executive design director for Nissan Motor Co.’s luxury brand, said in the statement. “With a flowing, natural aesthetic, this concept demonstrates how Infiniti can offer something new and exciting with future QX SUV models.”

Soaring sales of crossovers and SUVs in China powered a 6.8 percent increase in the country’s passenger vehicle sales in the January-March quarter, pushing volume to 5.67 million units.

Sales of SUVs are forecast to increase 13 percent this year in China, outpacing overall market growth, according to IHS Automotive. Their local market share in China has climbed to around 30 percent today from just 10 percent in 2010, it said.

Domestic Chinese brands, leveraging lower sticker prices, are increasingly grabbing a bigger slice of the country’s SUV market. But IHS Automotive expects international brands to remain the top players in the premium and luxury segments.